Opera Night at the Boston Public Library

April 7, 2026  6:00 – 7:30 PM     FREE – Register for event reminders  Rabb Lecture Hall – Boston Public Library Central Branch    700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116  REGISTER   Whose voices do we carry, even when history did not write down their names?  Join Boston Lyric Opera for an inspiring evening of music and conversation exploring 250 years of women's voices in America and how they still resonate today. BLO artists will present a stirring concert reflecting the many ways women have sung their stories into being, with selections including opera, art song, African American spirituals, and Spanish-language compositions. Following the performance, BLO Artistic Director Nina Yoshida Nelsen will facilitate a conversation on identity, legacy, and representation with a panel of women arts leaders and cultural advocates. Through music and dialogue, the evening invites us to listen more closely to the voices that have shaped our past — and continue to shape our future.  Performers:    Laura Santamaria, soprano   Arielle Rogers-Wilkey, mezzo-soprano   Brendon Shapiro, pianist     Panelists:   Nina Yoshida Nelsen, Boston Lyric Opera (Moderator)  Ashleigh Gordon, Castle of our Skins   Fredie Kay, Massachusetts Women's History Center   Nadine Martinez, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción  This event welcomes all audiences – no experience with opera is necessary! Playbills with texts and English translations will be provided.       Opera Night at the Boston Public Library is a legacy community partnership between Boston Lyric Opera and the Boston Public Library, offering equitable access to quality opera learning experiences for over 25 years.    This event is part of "Voices of Revolution," BLO's city-wide opera initiative for America's 250th anniversary. Learn more at: https://blo.org/voices-of-revolution/       This event is presented in partnership with Everyone250.